On Thursday, ESPN announced a new “30 for 30” doc that has more cultural appeal than the majority of the previous films as the focus of the new film is on ESPN icon and broadcasting legend, Stuart Scott.
“Boo-Yah: A Portrait of Stuart Scott” will premier on the network on Wednesday, December 10th at 9pm, and is positioned by ESPN as “A tribute to a trailblazing anchor who broke barriers, brought hip-hop culture to SportsCenter and inspired millions through his career and courageous battle with cancer”
Scott transformed the way sports news was presented and how it attracted an audience that was vastly overlooked by traditional outlets and mainstream sports broadcasting.
His flow was nothing like fans had ever heard before, especially on ESPN, and when he dropped lines like “Cool as the other side of the pillow” or “Michael was like butter because he’s on a roll,” fans were locked in.
Per the release:
“‘Boo-Yah’ traces Stuart’s journey from local television in North Carolina to becoming one of ESPN’s most influential voices. At a time when hip-hop and popular culture was often marginalized in mainstream media and few Black anchors held national prominence, Stuart brought both unapologetically to SportsCenter — blending sharp analysis, pop culture and swagger in a way that spoke directly to a new generation of fans.
Scott climbed the ladder at ESPN by building his presence on ESPN2 in shows like NBA2Night and eventually became a primetime anchor on the flagship network.
He opened doors that were never open to those who looked and sounded like him, and because of Scott, others like him were able to get their shot on ESPN and networks across the country who looked to connect with new audiences that lacked a home.
“Stuart Scott didn’t just change sports journalism — he changed culture. He made millions of people feel seen at a time when few voices like his were given the mic,” said director Andre Gaines. “What makes his story even more powerful is that Stuart was documenting his own life along the way — the father, the fighter, and the trailblazer who taught us all what authenticity looks like. His voice is woven through every frame, and we wanted to honor his legacy by letting him tell his story in his own words.”
The film includes never seen before footage of the ESPN legend and includes appearances by other ESPN icons and sports personalities such as Chris Berman, Linda Cohn, Rich Eisen, Kevin Frazier, Mike Greenberg, Jay Harris, Charles Barkley, Shaq, Kenny Smith and Michael Smith.
It also features personal stories from his family, who whom fans became more familiar with as Scott shared his battle with cancer.
Stuart Scott passed away on January 4th, 2015 at the age of 49 and has never been forgotten.
“Boo-Yah” will give fans a chance to reminisce about the times he entertained and informed them in his own unique way, while also enabling today’s generation to learn about the man who led the way in bringing culture and flavor to sports news.
So get a witness from the congregation and prepare to watch the story of a true trailblazer in sports journalism.
